Electronic game table with multifunction legs

BACKGROUND

Electronic game tables for multiplayer betting games conventionally have a tabletop attached to a central support pedestal that also houses central control components, such as a computing device that acts as a server for peripheral player stations. Or, such conventional electronic game tables have peripheral legs that serve the sole function of supporting the tabletop. With either of these tabletop support schemas, there is limited tabletop area for each player. While it is common to provide each player at an electronic game table with a dedicated touch screen display, it is difficult or impossible to provide each player with other accessories, such as a paper currency detector or a cash-out ticket printer.

What is needed is a way to place more of the desirable components of an electronic game table in close proximity to each player, without cluttering the tabletop to the point of creating distraction or impairing usefulness.

SUMMARY

Electronic game tables with multifunction legs are described. In one implementation, an electronic multiplayer game table includes a tabletop with player stations for an electronic betting game. Multifunction legs physically support the periphery of the tabletop, while electronic components for playing the betting game are mounted in the multifunction legs. For example, a multifunction leg may contain multiple currency detectors and coinless slot machine-style ticket printers/readers, so that each player at the game table has an exclusive currency detector and an exclusive ticket printer in close proximity. The multifunction legs may also include magnetic or smart card readers for transferring player, banking, and monetary information. In a variation, central control components of the electronic game table are also mounted in the legs. The multifunction legs can eliminate the need for a central support pedestal. This enables efficient under-table cooling schemas and other innovations, such as under-table lighting and a central tabletop holograph space.

This summary section is not intended to give a full description of electronic game tables with multifunction legs, or to provide a list of features and elements. A detailed description of example embodiments of such an electronic gaming system follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is an elevation diagram of an electronic game table under construction with exemplary multifunction legs.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a bottom view of the electronic game table shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is an elevation diagram of exemplary construction details of the electronic game table and multifunction legs as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> is a flow diagram of an exemplary method of including electronic components in a leg of an electronic game table.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> is a block diagram of a first exemplary game processing system that can be included in game tables that use the multifunction legs.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> is a block diagram of a second exemplary game processing system that can be included in game tables that use the multifunction legs.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> is a block diagram of a third exemplary game processing system, components of which can be included in game tables that use the multifunction legs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

This disclosure describes electronic game tables with multifunction legs. The multifunction legs provide many benefits over conventional electronic game tables.

Exemplary Apparatus

In one implementation, as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, an exemplary electronic game table <b>100</b> for betting games has multifunction legs, e.g., <b>102</b>, <b>104</b>, &amp; <b>106</b> attached around the outer perimeter or periphery of a tabletop <b>108</b>. For example, each leg may be attached at a different outer corner of the tabletop <b>108</b>. Each leg, e.g., leg <b>104</b>, contains a vertical support member for supporting the tabletop <b>108</b> as well as electronic equipment, e.g., communicatively coupled with central control components to provide some elements of a distributed network.

Besides physically supporting the electronic game tabletop <b>108</b> either directly via the vertical support member or indirectly via horizontal rails between the vertical support members of two legs, each multifunction leg <b>104</b> serves additional practical functions, such as housing currency detectors <b>110</b> &amp; <b>112</b> and ticket printers <b>114</b> &amp; <b>116</b> associated with the electronic betting game. The ticket printers <b>114</b> &amp; <b>116</b>, which can be tickets-in-tickets-out systems, typically create a paper ticket with a barcode representing the player's credit balance or money balance (money balance is used herein to represent either) at the time of cashing-out from the electronic game table <b>100</b>. Depending on implementation, the same device or a different ticket reader may scan the ticket to input a player's money balance as credits at the electronic game table <b>100</b>. Currency detectors <b>110</b> &amp; <b>112</b>, which are also known as bill validators, bill acceptors, paper currency readers, and sometimes ticket readers, scan paper currency and/or tickets created by ticket printers <b>114</b> &amp; <b>116</b> using optical sensors. Upon validation, the currency detector <b>112</b> signals the control components of the electronic game table <b>100</b> of a player credit via a parallel or serial interface.

Other components, such as power supplies and cooling devices, may also be housed in each multifunction leg <b>104</b>. The multifunction legs may also include magnetic or smart card readers for transferring player, banking, and monetary information to and from an internal or external system for using and tracking the information. A smart card (chip card, or integrated circuit card) is a pocket-sized card with embedded electronics to process data. The exemplary multifunction legs <b>104</b> contrast with conventional gaming tables that group the significant conventional electronic components into a central support pedestal of the conventional table or in the tabletop.

The exemplary multifunction legs <b>104</b> provide many advantages for the exemplary electronic game table <b>100</b> over conventional electronic game table layouts. In one implementation, besides supporting the tabletop <b>108</b>, each multifunction leg <b>104</b> provides currency detectors <b>110</b> &amp; <b>112</b> and ticket printers <b>114</b> &amp; <b>116</b> for two players, one on each side of a given multifunction leg <b>104</b>. Thus, a game table <b>100</b> with four legs provides each of eight players with an exclusive currency reader <b>110</b> and an exclusive ticket printer <b>116</b> for that player alone. Such multifunction legs <b>104</b> provide each player at the game table <b>100</b> with an exclusive currency reader <b>110</b> and an exclusive ticket printer <b>116</b> without adding bulk to the game tabletop <b>108</b> or to a central pedestal of the game table <b>100</b>. The multifunction legs <b>104</b> position a user interface for each of the user-accessible electronic components mounted in the legs within close proximity to the adjacent player position and thereby within easy reach of a player seated adjacent to a leg. Thus, each player does not have to reach very far to use a respective currency reader <b>110</b> and ticket printer <b>116</b> dedicated exclusively to that player.

Housing significant electronic components in the multifunction legs <b>104</b> keeps electronic accessories from bulking up a central pedestal—or from requiring a central pedestal at all—and from cluttering the game tabletop <b>108</b> with credit processing devices and related user interfaces. The multifunction legs <b>104</b> allow the electronic game table <b>100</b> to achieve a leaner appearance and cleaner tabletop <b>108</b> than conventional electronic game tables, while providing another practical benefit of more leg room. The central housing for central control components can be suspended from the bottom of the tabletop <b>108</b>, or from horizontal supports attached between the multifunction legs <b>104</b> that support the tabletop <b>108</b>, instead of relying on the support of a central pedestal.

As shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, the multifunction legs <b>104</b> allow an innovative cooling system for electronic game tables, in which a cooling air intake <b>202</b> draws air from the open bottom of the central housing <b>204</b> (when a central housing <b>204</b> is used for central control components) and flows the air through channels in the tabletop <b>108</b>, or out of a top opening. The central housing <b>204</b> can include a relatively large opening <b>202</b> at its bottom for air intake, since the multifunction legs <b>104</b> eliminate the need for a central pedestal that would conventionally reach to the floor to support the game tabletop <b>108</b>. Drawing air from the open bottom <b>202</b> of the central housing <b>204</b> can provide a quieter electronic game table <b>100</b>. That is, the bottom-located opening <b>202</b> enables a quieter placement of electric cooling fans. In another implementation, no cooling fans are needed in the central housing <b>204</b>. When centrally located electronic components generate heat, the rising heat initiates a spontaneous “thermal siphon” airflow that draws air from the bottom opening(s) <b>202</b> of the central housing <b>204</b>.

In one implementation, either fan-driven air circulation or the spontaneous airflow enabled by the multifunction legs <b>104</b> flows through the tabletop <b>108</b>, which contains airflow channels in an interior layer, and is vented at the edges of the tabletop <b>108</b>, for example, at points furthest away from any player, or at vents in the multifunction legs <b>104</b>. Such channels in a tabletop <b>108</b> of a game table <b>100</b> are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/260,989 to Kuhn, which is incorporated herein by reference.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> shows construction detail of an exemplary implementation of the multifunction legs <b>104</b>. In the illustrated example, besides providing a vertical support member, the multifunction legs <b>104</b> are constructed with various access panels and doors, e.g., <b>302</b>, <b>304</b>, and <b>306</b>, which provide openings for the electronic components <b>110</b>, <b>112</b>, <b>114</b>, <b>116</b> housed in the multifunction legs <b>104</b> to slide in and out for installation and service. The access doors, e.g., door <b>304</b>, also allows access to auxiliary components, such as a local power supply <b>308</b>, local cooling fans if needed (not shown), and support components in the multifunction legs <b>104</b>, such as support fasteners, retractable “pop-down” transport wheels, leveling mechanisms, and so forth.

A central housing access door <b>310</b> typically includes a lock <b>312</b> and one or more electric interlocks, to secure the central control components (not shown) and to secure privileged access to game settings.

Alternative Implementations and Variations

In one implementation, since the multifunction legs <b>104</b> allow an open space under the central housing <b>204</b> (when used), or eliminate the need for a central housing altogether, the tabletop <b>108</b> is equipped with underside lighting (not shown) to illuminate the entire floor surface under the electronic game table <b>100</b>. The underside lighting of the entire floor surface under the game table <b>100</b> is not possible with conventional pedestal-style game tables. The underside lighting can be colored to attract attention to the game table, or can change color or flash colors to signal game states, such as wins. The underside lighting can also turn on-and-off on a programmed cue, flash, change color, change intensity, display light movement in a patterned or sequential manner, etc., for example, when a player approaches the table or begins to leave.

In an alternative implementation, all the significant electronic components for the electronic game table <b>100</b> (except tabletop player stations, such as player station <b>314</b>) are mounted in the multifunction legs <b>104</b>. This eliminates the need for a central housing <b>204</b> underneath the tabletop <b>108</b>. In one variation, when electronic components are distributed to the peripherally attached multifunction legs <b>104</b>, a central display screen, also known as a common display <b>318</b>, may sometimes be omitted from the game table <b>100</b>. This leaves an open space to the floor, or an opening for a 3-D object, such as a sculpture or an advertisement, or an opening for a recessed holographic projection space, i.e., a recessed well in which 3-D holographic shapes may be projected and animated. Such a central space may also be used for other game parts and functions, such as a real or holographic roulette wheel, a real or holographic dice pit, or other centrally positioned gaming device.

Example Method

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> shows an exemplary method <b>400</b> of including electronic components in a leg of an electronic game table. The operations are represented as individual blocks.

At block <b>402</b>, a leg is attached to a periphery of an electronic multiplayer game table.

At block <b>404</b>, one currency detector and one ticket printer and/or reader are mounted in the leg per each player position adjacent to the leg.

At block <b>406</b>, a first user interface for accessing the currency detector and a second user interface for accessing the ticket printer/reader are mounted in the leg, e.g., within human reach of the adjacent player position.

The currency detectors and the ticket printers/readers are typically communicatively coupled with central control components for executing a betting game on the electronic multiplayer game table.

Multiple legs of the electronic multiplayer game table provide an exclusive currency detector and an exclusive ticket printer/reader for each player position at the electronic multiplayer game table.

Exemplary Game Table Components

The exemplary multifunction legs <b>104</b> can be used with electronic game tables and/or tabletops for betting games, such as those game tables, tabletops, and betting games variously described in US. Pat. No. 5,586,766 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,998 to Forte et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,069, U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,629, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,255,642 to Sines et al., each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Returning to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> as an exemplary implementation of an electronic game table <b>100</b> that uses the multifunction legs <b>104</b>, each game table <b>100</b> has an arbitrary size that in the illustrated version seats eight participants. Other implementations can seat a different number of participants. The game table <b>100</b> has a display screen or touch screen user interface for each participant, i.e., a player station <b>314</b>. A participant's player station <b>314</b> may include an electronic display for presenting visual images and may further consist of a touch screen display for further interactive capability. Depending upon implementation, each participant player station <b>314</b> may also include various other forms of interactive interface, such as pointing devices, light sensors, wagering chip sensors, audio speakers, etc.

The illustrated example game table <b>100</b> may also include at least one common display <b>318</b> in the center of the game table <b>100</b>, for presenting visual information to all participants. The common display(s) <b>318</b> may present general information redundantly in two, four, or more visual orientations so that the displayed information is oriented correctly for each participant.

The example electronic game table <b>100</b> of <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> has an example layout that is useful for unhosted card games, although using a live dealer at such a game table <b>100</b> is not ruled out. The example game table <b>100</b> as shown typically uses virtual playing cards and virtual chips. However, the game table <b>100</b> can be configured to use any combination of real playing cards, virtual playing cards, real wagering chips, and/or virtual gaming chips. When real playing cards are used, a live shoe that reads the identity of each card sends the card identity information to the electronic processor (<b>504</b> or <b>604</b> in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 5-7</figref>) that runs the game. When real wagering chips are used, light sensors, optical sensors, scanning technology, weigh cells, RFID technology, etc., may be used with specially constructed chips or conventional standard chips to sense chip presence and chip values.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> shows an example game processing system <b>500</b> that can be included in game tables that use the multifunction legs <b>104</b>, such as electronic game table <b>100</b>. Some or all of such a game processing system <b>500</b>, such as currency detectors <b>110</b> and ticket printers <b>114</b>, can be situated in the multifunction legs <b>104</b>. The illustrated configuration of the exemplary game processing system <b>500</b> is meant to provide only one example arrangement for the sake of overview. Many other arrangements of the illustrated components, or similar components, are possible within the scope of the subject matter. Such an exemplary game processing system <b>500</b> can be executed in hardware, or combinations of hardware, software, firmware, etc.

The exemplary game processing system <b>500</b> includes a computing device <b>502</b>, which may be a desktop, server, or notebook style computer, or other device that has processor, memory, and data storage. The computing device <b>502</b> thus includes a processor <b>504</b>, memory <b>506</b>, data storage <b>508</b>; and interface(s) <b>510</b> to communicatively couple with the participant “<b>1</b>” user interface <b>314</b>, the participant “<b>2</b>” user interface <b>316</b>, . . . , and the participant “N” user interface <b>512</b>. The game processing system <b>500</b> includes a gaming engine <b>514</b> and game rules <b>516</b>, shown as software loaded into memory <b>506</b>.

The interfaces <b>510</b> can be one or more hardware components that drive the visual displays and communicate with the interactive components, e.g., touch screen displays, of the multiple participant user interfaces <b>314</b>, <b>316</b>, . . . , <b>512</b>.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> shows another example game processing system <b>600</b> that can be included in game tables that use the multifunction legs <b>104</b>, such as electronic game table <b>100</b>. Some or all of the game processing system <b>600</b>, such as currency detectors <b>110</b> and ticket printers <b>114</b>, can be situated in one or more of the multifunction legs <b>104</b>. The illustrated configuration of the exemplary game processing system <b>600</b> is meant to provide only one example arrangement for the sake of overview. Many other arrangements of the illustrated components, or similar components, are possible within the scope of the subject matter, e.g., that shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>. In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref>, such an exemplary game processing system <b>600</b> can be executed in hardware, or combinations of hardware, software, firmware, etc.

The exemplary game processing system <b>600</b> includes a server computing device <b>602</b>, which can be a computer or other device that has processor, memory, and data storage. The server computing device <b>602</b> thus includes a processor <b>604</b>, memory <b>606</b>, data storage <b>608</b>, and an interface, such as a network interface card (NIC) <b>610</b>, to communicatively couple over a network <b>612</b> with remote computing devices, such as computing device “<b>1</b>” <b>614</b> that hosts the participant “<b>1</b>” user interface <b>616</b>; computing device “<b>2</b>” <b>618</b> that hosts the participant “<b>2</b>” user interface <b>620</b>; . . . ; and computing device “N” <b>622</b> that hosts the participant “N” user interface <b>624</b>. The currency detectors <b>110</b> and ticket printers <b>114</b> typically interface with the server computing device <b>602</b> via serial or parallel ports. The game processing system <b>600</b> includes a gaming engine <b>514</b> and game rules <b>516</b>, shown as software loaded into memory <b>606</b>.

The participant computing devices <b>614</b>, <b>618</b>, and <b>622</b> may be desktop or notebook computers, or may be workstations or other client computing devices that have processor and memory, but may or may not have onboard data storage. Typically, a player station does not have data storage. Such modules may be “dumb” in that they have no bootable device, but generally receive images and instructions from the server <b>602</b>. Thus, in one implementation, a player computing device <b>614</b> is a visual display with graphics processing power and user interface components.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> shows another example game processing system <b>700</b>, consisting of a network of gaming machines <b>100</b>, <b>100</b>′, and <b>100</b>″ that each may have “n” players. Electronic components for each game table may be stored in multifunction legs <b>104</b> of the individual game table. The game processing system <b>700</b> is similar to that shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref>, except that the client nodes of the network <b>612</b> are multiplayer gaming machines (e.g., <b>100</b>, <b>100</b>′, &amp; <b>100</b>″) instead of individual gaming stations. That is, each node of the network <b>612</b> can accommodate multiple players. In another implementation, the network <b>612</b> has a mixture of client nodes consisting of individual playing stations as in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> and multiplayer gaming stations as in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref>.

Conclusion

Although exemplary systems have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claimed systems, methods, and structures.